ÁñÁ«ÉçÇø

Creativity, collaboration and innovation. Over six varied and exciting days, Year 10 explored, challenged and designed solutions to community and civic problems while challenging themselves and their future.

As the end of Term drew to a close, the My Future Self conference – now in its fourth year - inspired students to think big.

Navigating the future

Challenges across campus, supported by Southbound Adventures, saw students work in teams to navigate a series of tests and puzzles. The Raw Challenge tested physical and mental boundaries through obstacles and muddy courses. Students used their skill, energy, determination and mateship to overcome rope walls, mud pits and wet and dirty tunnels.

Guest speakers, including ÁñÁ«ÉçÇø alumni and industry leaders, shared journeys of employment, travel and life beyond school. A food scientist, radio presenter, medical professional, space engineer, Xbox digital marketer, cyber security expert, lawyer and Olympian left their mark on students and challenged the traditional careers and pathways to success. 

We were also delighted to welcome back Zonta International. Students helped Zonta volunteers put together and pack birthing kits for women in rural Africa to support clean and safe births. Together students made 4000 packs in total and were inspired to think about how their actions locally could make an impact globally.

Outside the box thinking

Armed with new skills, and a renewed sense of motivation and resilience, students sort out creative and innovative answers to some of our community's largest problems.

In the Festival of Big Ideas - a showcase of entrepreneurial skills - students worked in teams to develop new solutions for problems like domestic violence, homelessness, equality and the environment and presented their ideas to their peers. 

Alex Blow, Manager of Central Coast Food Alliance was invited to help judge student submissions. Alex said, "I was struck by the audiences' engagement through the session. They seemed genuinely 'at stake' for the success of the presenters. It's hard to understate the value of creating an environment which enables kids to safely 'stretch' themselves."

Students were assessed on creativity, innovation and global citizenship. It was "Hands Down Pizza" - the brainchild of Owen Baker, Stella Hannagan, Hazel Hunt and Annabelle King - that impressed the judges the most, taking out this year's Big Idea prize. Their vision was to provide a discrete support service for victims of domestic abuse by masking as an online pizza service. The Hands Down Pizza app and website would also provide a link between different support services available in the community. 

Alex added, "I was really energised to see the student's engaging with some important social and environmental challenges. The quality of thinking and standard of preparation and presentations was excellent."

A waste audit and exploration of the rubbish generated at the school also inspired students to develop engaging education campaigns and inventive problem solving to encourage waste reduction and reuse. 

Congratulations to all our Year 10 students on a fantastic My Future Self conference.